126 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



ance and bent on mischief, the Highland blood of my friend 

 was raised, and he resolved to stop the annoyance. 

 Springing on his horse, he grasped his spear nine feet of 

 tough bamboo and, turning the blade behind him, he 

 cantered towards his tormentor. The latter now turned his 

 horse, and, not caring for a closer acquaintance, urged his 

 steed towards the village whence he had come. As far as 

 he was concerned, the wrong man was in the right place ; and 

 before he could reach a friendly shelter, the incensed hunter 

 had overtaken him, and he received the chastisement he had 

 so well earned. 



Eeturning to our camp one evening, we were disturbed by 

 an alarm among the servants, who said they had seen a large 

 snake in a hollow fig-tree at the edge of the pond, and close 

 to the spot which they had chosen for our kitchen. Pre- 

 sently one of them called out that he could see the tail of the 

 snake, and, taking up hog-spears, we ran to the spot. The 

 tail of the snake was plainly visible, and I succeeded in 

 nailing him with my spear to the tree. My companion then 

 made another dig, and pinned him, six inches nearer the 

 head. The snake was large and strong, and was only drawn 

 out with much difficulty ; but, by alternate spearing, we 

 forced him out and slew him. He was of the daman or 

 water species about nine feet in length, and as thick as a 

 man's arm. The natives say that these snakes are not 

 venomous, but that they are capable of inflicting severe blows 

 with their tails. I have never heard of an authenticated 

 case. 



Biding round a small lake one morning, I observed one 

 of these snakes, seven or eight feet in length, lying motionless 

 among the weeds near the water. Its head seemed swollen 

 to a great size, and the mouth especially presented an unusual 



